Arrangement for transferring yarn loops between needles of a knitting machine



April 25, 1967 5-, KUHNERT 3,315,495

ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSFERRING YARN LOOPS BETWEEN NEEDLES E OF A KNITTING MACHINE Filed D86- 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mum-r. la 1 3 Fig.2

L 1 II! 1 Fig. 3

5 T 50 v s v I N \/E N TOR G ttfried lab/16F? 0414 BMW G; KUHNERT 3,315,495 ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSFERRING YARN LOOPS BETWEEN NEEDLES April 25. 1967 OF A KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VE N TOR Gottfried KL'Umer'i' United States Patent 3,315,495 ARRANGEMENT FOR TRANSFERRING YARN LOOPS BETWEEN NEEDLES OF A KNIT- TING MACHINE Gottfried Kiihnert, Reichenbach, Westhansen, Germany, assignor to Universal Maschinenfabrik Dr. Rudolf Schieber G.m.b.H., Westhausen, Germany Filed Dec. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 419,425 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 23, 1963, U 10,368 4 Claims. (Cl. 6696) This invention relates to flat-bed knitting machines and particularly to an arrangement for transferring yarn loops or stitches from one needle in a needle bed to another needle of the same bed.

It is known to transfer such loops or stitches by means of hook-shaped loop holders which are movable transversely of the longitudinal needle axes and thus may travel along the row of needles in the bed. In the known device, the shanks of the needles and of the associates loop holders form an obtuse angle, and the mechanism for actuating the movement of needles and holders necessary for the loop or stitch transfer is rather complex.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a transfer arrangement for yarn loops between the knitting needles of the same bed which is simple and requires but very simple movements of the needles and loop holders.

With this object and others in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention provides a knitting machine with a set of needles laterally juxtaposed in a needle bed for longitudinal reciprocating movement between a' rest position and a raised position. The shank of each needle terminates in a hook-shaped head and has a shoulder spaced from the head. A face of the shoulder transverse of the direction of needle elongation faces toward the head. A normally closed eye approximately aligned with the shoulder face is formed on the needle shank by resilent means. The eye is adapted to open resiliently in a direction toward the head.

The machine has elongated loop holders formed with throats in corresponding end portions. Means are provided for moving each holder in the direction of elongation thereof between a retracted and an operative position, and also for moving the holder transversely of its direction of elongation between a plurality of positions of alignment in which it is longitudinally aligned with the eyes of respective needles when the same are in the aforementioned raised position thereof. Each loop holder encloses an acute angle with the aligned needle in all the afore-mentioned positions of the holder and the needle.

Other features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when taken with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a knitting needle of the invention in side elevation;

FIG. 2 shows the needle of FIG. 1 in front elevation;

FIG. 3 shows a loop holder of the invention in rear elevation;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the holder of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of a two-bed knitting machine of the invention in side-elevational section;

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the device of FIG. 5 in different operative positions; and

FIG. 8 shows the device of FIG. 5 in side elevational section in a plane parallel to, but oflset from that of FIG. 5.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is seen a latch needle 1 which has a loop-supporting shoulder 2 and a butt 1c. The shoul- 3,315,495 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 der has a flat face which is perpendicular to the longitudinal needle axis, faces toward the needle hook 1a, and is spaced from the needle latch 1b in a direction away from the hook in all operative positions of the latch. This direction will be referred to as downward for the convenience of the description.

A leaf spring 3 is riveted to the shank of the needle 1 below the shoulder 2 and extends upward along a flank of the needle which is parallel to the plane of latch movement. A portion of the spring 3 transversely aligned with the flat face of the shoulder 2 is offset. The portion of the spring 3 above the face of the shoulder 2 is narrow and terminates in a pointed tip 3c.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the offset portion of the spring 3 and the flank of the needle 1 define a normally closed eye 3a. The portion of the spring 3 above the fastening rivets 3b, but below the face of the shoulder 2 is bent angularly away from the needle flank. The next higher spring portion is angularly bent into a plane parallel to the needle axis, and the top portion of the spring gradually approaches the needle flank in a shallow arc. The tip 3c of the needle 3 is normally received in a recess of the needle flank.

The butted loop holder 4 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is provided with a leaf spring 5 which is elongated parallel to the longitudinal holder axis, and is riveted to the holder shaft at 4a near the butt 4b. The spring extends from the butt 4 along most of the holder shaft to the throat 4c at the hook-shaped working end 4d of the holder. A portion 5a of the spring spaced a short distance from the free spring end 4d and the holder throat 4c is arcuately offset and defines a funnel-shaped passage with a recess 6 in the flank of the holder 4. As will presently become apparent, a needle may be guided in the passage which tapers in the direction in which the throat 4c is open.

The flat-bed knitting machine in which needles and loop holders of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 may be employed is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 only to the extent needed for an understanding of this invention, the remainder of the machine being essentially conventional in structure.

Referring initially to FIG. 5, there are seen two needle beds 8, 9 arranged in an inverted V-shape. Knitted fabric 7 is dicharged downwardly from the knitting area at the open apex of the V-shape. The last-formed yarn loops 7a, 7b, of the fabric are retained in the hooks of two needles 1 which represent the two sets of parallel needles in the two beds 8, 9. The needles are longitudinally movable in respective guide channels of the needle beds and are shown in the rest position. Their latches are open.

Two loop holder beds 10, 11 are arranged above the needle beds 8, 9 respectively, and are movable perpendicularly to the plane of the drawing along the associated sets of needles. Loop holders 4 are arranged in the loop holder beds 10, 11 for longitudinal movement. The longitudinal axes of the needles in each bed enclose an acute angle with the corresponding axes of the associated loop holders. While an angle of approximately 50 has been shown in the drawing, it will be understood that the angle maybe as great as about When the needle 1 in the bed 8 is raised, as shown in FIG. 6, the yarn loop 7a moves downward over the latch of the needle until it is caught by the shoulder 2. During continuing upward movement of the needle into the position shown in FIG. 6, the loop is longitudinally expanded by the movement of the shoulder 2,- and is also laterally enlarged by the offset portion of the spring 3.

The associated loop holder 4 is next moved forward by its bed 10 until its hook-shaped free end enters the eye between the spring 3 and the flank 2 of the needle 1. The

resulting position of the hook 4d in the eye and within the afore-mentioned loop is best seen in FIG. 2, but is also evident from FIG. 6.

When the needle 1 is next retracted toward the position illustrated in FIG. 7, the yarn loop 7a is retained in the throat of the holder 4. The hook slips upward from the eye between the spring 3 and the needle flank by deflecting the narrow free end of the spring as the needle moves downward.

The holder bed 10 is then shifted transversely of the needle axes until the holder 4 is aligned with an adjacent needle 1. More specifically, the funnel-shaped guide passage between the flank of the holder 4 and the attached leaf spring 5 is aligned with the axis of the needle 1. When the latter is raised, as shown in FIG. 8, it is guided by the upwardly tapering passage into the loop of yarn to be transferred. The passage is expanded upon entry of the needle head which resiliently deflects the spring 5. The loop of yarn is retained by the needle 1 when the holder 4 is next withdrawn, in a manner not further illustrated, to a retracted position corresponding to that of FIG. 5,

The loop formation on the partly illustrated knitting machine is not in itself relevant to this invention, and has neither been illustrated, nor will it be described. The actuating machanism which causes the afore-described longitudinal movements of the needles and loop holders is represented only by the butts 1c and 4b best seen in FIGS.

1 and 4, and by the holder beds 10, 11. The cams which cooperate with the butts, and the devices which actuate the movements of the sinker beds are known in themselves and will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The needles in the needle bed 9 cooperate with the loopholders in the loop holder bed 11 in the same manner as described hereinabove with reference to the beds 8 and 10. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to flat bed knitting machines having two needle beds.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What I claim is:

1. In a knitting machine, in combination:

(a) two needle beds horizon-tally offset from each other and defining a knitting area therebetween;

(b) a plurality of elongated needles longitudinally reciprocable in each needle bed between respective rest positions off-set from said knitting area and respective raised positions in which said needles are located in said area,

(1) the needles being laterally juxtaposed in respective substantially parallel elongated rows in said needle beds,

(2) each needle having a shank terminating in a hook-shaped head and :a shoulder on said shank,

(3) the shoulder having a face transverse of the direction of elongation thereof, said face being spaced from said head and facing toward the same; 7

(c) resilient means on each needle defining an eye substantially aligned with said face transversely of said direction, said eye being normally closed and adapted to open resiliently toward said head;

(d) two loop holders respectively associated with said needle beds, and elongated in the direction of elongation of the needles in the associated needle bed, each loop holder having two end portions and being formed with a throat in one of said end portions;

(e) means for moving each loop holder in the direction of elongation thereof between an operative position in which the loop holder extends into said knitting area, and a retracted position offset from said knitting area; and 3 (f) means for moving each 100p holder in the direction of elongation of the row of needles in the associated needle bed between a plurality of positions of alignment in which the loop holder is longitudinally sociated needle bed being offset from said knitting area in a common direction when the loop holder is in the retracted position and the needles are in the rest position thereof.

2. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 1, said resilient means including an elongated leaf spring having one end portion remote from said head and fixedly fastened to said shank, and another end portion near said head and normally engaging said shank under the resilient pressure thereof.

3. In a-knitting machine as set forth in claim 1, resilient means on said loop holder defining a guide passage adjacent said throat, one of said needles being longitudinally aligned with said guide passage when said loop holder is in the operative position while being in a position of alignment, said guide passage being adapted to open laterally in a direction from the other end portion toward said one end portion.

4. In a knitting machine as set forth in claim 3, said guide passage tapering in the, direction of movement of an aligned needle from the rest position to the raised position thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 885,150 4/1908 Foster 66 1,467,239 9/1923 Desachy 66 96 2,397,456 3/1946 Sirmay 66-96 2,442,442 6/1948 Shortland i66-24 2,648,583 7/1954 Miller 66 95 3,102,404 9/1963 Seiler 66-95 FOREIGN PATENTS 230,010 3/1963 Austria.

5,745 11/1953 Germany.

1,270,983 7/1961 France.

68,023 7/1891 Germany.

419,601 11/193 Great Britain.

M ERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. ROBERT R. MACKEY, Examiner. R. FELDBAUM, Assism'ntExaminer. 

1. IN A KNITTING MACHINE, IN COMBINATION: (A) TWO NEEDLE BEDS HORIZONTALLY OFFSET FROM EACH OTHER AND DEFINING A KNITTING AREA THEREBETWEEN; (B) A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED NEEDLES LONGITUDINALLY RECIPROCABLE IN EACH NEEDLE BED BETWEEN RESPECTIVE REST POSITIONS OFF-SET FROM SAID KNITTING AREA AND RESPECTIVE RAISED POSITIONS IN WHICH SAID NEEDLES ARE LOCATED IN SAID AREA, (1) THE NEEDLES BEING LATERALLY JUXTAPOSED IN RESPECTIVE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ELONGATED ROWS IN SAID NEEDLE BEDS, (2) EACH NEEDLE HAVING A SHANK TERMINATING IN A HOOK-SHAPED HEAD AND A SHOULDER ON SAID SHANK, (3) THE SHOULDER HAVING A FACE TRANSVERSE OF THE DIRECTION OF ELONGATION THEREOF, SAID FACE BEING SPACED FROM SAID HEAD AND FACING TOWARD THE SAME; (C) RESILIENT MEANS ON EACH NEEDLE DEFINING AN EYE SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID FACE TRANSVERSELY OF SAID DIRECTION, SAID EYE BEING NORMALLY CLOSED AND ADAPTED TO OPEN RESILIENTLY TOWARD SAID HEAD; (D) TWO LOOP HOLDERS RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID NEEDLE BEDS, AND ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF ELONGATION OF THE NEEDLES IN THE ASSOCIATED NEEDLE BED, EACH LOOP HOLDER HAVING TWO END PORTIONS AND BEING FORMED WITH A THROAT IN ONE OF SAID END PORTIONS; 